Suppressing Corrosion of Aluminum Foils via Highly Conductive Graphene-like Carbon Coating in High-Performance Lithium-Based Batteries

Abstract

Aluminum foil is the predominant cathodic current collector in lithium-based batteries due to the high electronic conductivity, stable chemical/electrochemical properties, low density, and low cost. However, with the development of next-generation lithium batteries, Al current collectors face new challenges, such as the requirement of increased chemical stability at high voltage, long-cycle-life batteries with different electrolyte systems, as well as improved electronic conductivity and adhesion for new electrode materials. In this study, we demonstrate a novel graphene-like carbon (GLC) coating on the Al foil in lithium-based batteries. Various physical and electrochemical characterizations are conducted to reveal the electronic conductivity and electrochemical stability of the GLC-Al foil in both carbonate- and ether-based electrolytes. Full-cell tests, including Li–S batteries and high-voltage Li-ion batteries, are performed to demonstrate the significantly improved cycling and rate performance of batteries with the use of the GLC-Al foil as current collectors. The cell using the GLC-Al foil can greatly reduce the potential polarization in Li–S batteries and can obtain a reversible capacity of 750 mAh g–1 over 100 cycles at 0.5C. Even with high-sulfur-loading cathodes, the Li–S battery at 1C still maintains over 500 mAh g–1 after 100 cycles. In high-voltage Li-ion batteries, the GLC-Al foil significantly improves the high-rate performance, showing an increased retained capacity by over 100 mAh g–1 after 450 cycles at 1C compared to the bare foil. It is believed that the developed GLC-Al foil brings new opportunities to enhance the battery life of lithium-based batteries.

Design Strategies for High‐Voltage Aqueous Batteries

“…d) Reproduced with permission. [82] Copyright 2019, American Chemical Society. e) Reproduced with permission.…”

Research Progress on Copper-Based Current Collector for Lithium Metal Batteries

“…In addition, the cathode current collector also uses carbon-coated Al foil to increase conductivity. 8,29 More importantly, the lithium metal anode can be used with Li-free cathode materials in the Li||Li-free cathode battery system (Figure 1b), in which transition metal fluoride MF x (M= Fe, Co, Cu, Mn, etc. ), MnO 2 , elemental S and FeS 2 have excellent energy density.…”

First Scalable 18650 Aqueous-based Supercapacitors Using Hydrophobicity of Anti-corrosion Graphite Passivation Layer

“…4,5 However, one of the key challenges limiting practical and commercial aqueous-based supercapacitors is a corrosion issue of metal current collectors in aqueousbased electrolytes. Recently, the surface modi cation of metals with carbon materials (i.e., graphite, 6,7 graphene, 8,9 and carbon nanotubes 10 ) has attracted great attention for many other applications. Such reports highlighted remark improvements of the modi ed electrodes including the suppression of corrosion, 8 the improvement of interfacial contact, 9 and the reduction of internal resistance.…”

“…Recently, the surface modi cation of metals with carbon materials (i.e., graphite, 6,7 graphene, 8,9 and carbon nanotubes 10 ) has attracted great attention for many other applications. Such reports highlighted remark improvements of the modi ed electrodes including the suppression of corrosion, 8 the improvement of interfacial contact, 9 and the reduction of internal resistance. 11 A graphitecoated aluminium current collector may be an ideal candidate to be coated on metal current collectors for the aqueous-based energy storage devices since the graphite is abundant providing great chemical stability and high electrical conductivity.…”